


Fading Stars

by sweetSINnamon



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst, Blackmail, Death Threats, Depravity Falls, F/M, Nightmares, Paranoia, Possession, Unrequited Love, Visions, bad deals, humanization, tags and rating may change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2018-09-11 03:19:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8951917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetSINnamon/pseuds/sweetSINnamon
Summary: You were an ordinary girl who moved into Gravity Falls with your parents. Upon arriving, you knew that the town was truly something. And the creatures even more so.-----Depravity Falls AU, though blood and gore is rarely mentioned (since it's mostly centered around the story's plot and romance). Updates happen spontaneously, or whenever I feel motivated.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Some chapters will be revised when I have spare time, since some are a couple of months old.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Reader has arrived at Gravity Falls.

    “Here we are, _____, your new home."

   
    The hum of the car’s engine slowly died down to give way to the night’s noises. In the distance, an owl cooed perpetually on its perched branch. Your dad’s voice did nothing to soothe your train-wreck of nervousness, it did nothing at all. Seeing how sweaty your palms could get whenever you saw a town’s citizen, you knew that this town was anything but normal.

   
    The car’s headlights loomed in on your new home and the building’s appearance ticked off your gut once more. A feeling of dread reappears to hang over your being, you silently begin to wonder if it wasn’t too late to start the car and get the heck out of Gravity Falls like there was no tomorrow; and there probably wouldn’t be one if your family had continued their idea to live here. The thought of that made your fear lurch back into action with a renewed idea of terrorizing you; you should probably prepare for another sleepless night.

   
    You cast a fretful glance to your mother and hoped that she would catch on to your uneasy stare. But apparently your guardian didn’t even spare a glance in your direction; instead, she got out of the car to help your dad haul luggage. You hold back a small groan of protest, sometimes you wondered if they really did take notice of their kid. Not really wanting to be left alone in the car, you began making your way out of the vehicle to lend your assistance in any way possible.

   
    You grabbed one bag and took one more in the other hand before you walked inside the place you now called “home”, or maybe the title of “prison” would be a better and suitable name. As expected from buying a house from an eerie man over the net, the place had cobwebs scattered throughout the building and-- was that a dead rat?! Cautiously moving to the dropping area for the bags, you set down the luggage in your hands onto the heap of bags and boxes. A feeling of nausea strengthens into a strong urge to empty your lunch onto the floor.

   
    _I think I’m gonna be sick._

   
    Unsure of what to do next, you stand near the pile of belongings and began to stare at the dead creature in the corner of the room. Two seconds pass, nothing happens. Hopefully, other vermin in the house are also dead like this one-- the rat twitched. It just _twitched_. A dark thought echoes faintly in your head, suggesting that you should ask your dad to clean up the rodent’s body and burn it outside. But you dispose of the cruel idea as soon as it entered your head, it wouldn’t be right for the rat. You decide to leave it alone and ask for dad on what to do with it.

   
    “Well, that seems to be the last of ‘em!”

   
    Jumping slightly from the sudden arrival of your father, you turned sharply to focus on his figure in the dark. A switch is flipped and light begins to flood into the room. With a hand on the light switch and a small tired grin on his face, you can clearly see how happy your dad was at the moment for moving the luggage out of the car and inside the house. He was always so easy to please and was mostly a jolly guy.

   
    Now that you can see clearly, you take up the chance to get a better view of your surroundings. There are only a few cobwebs that have stayed in some corners of the room you were in. Dust covers the floor and on old counters while other particles of dust still lingered in the air. The light bulb over your head flickers a bit before continuing a steady faint glow. The house was empty for now, but that’s only because the moving van got stuck in traffic earlier. Despite your mom’s sliver of a doubt, you had a feeling that they’d arrive soon. Hopefully.

   
    Your dad continues to grin at you, silently asking for some positive feedback on the new house or some nice thoughts about the town. His grin makes you feel uncomfortable since you aren’t feeling too bright at the moment, and so you shift some of your weight on one foot to the other. You know that both of your parents are trying to do their best so you can have a happy life - which is something you definitely appreciated, _definitely_ \- but… now wasn’t a right time to be happy. Especially with a carcass of a rodent rotting away in the kitchen floor.

   
    “Er, dad… there’s a dead rat in that corner.”

 

 

  
    _Okay, just think of nothing. Think of nothing. Just. Think. Of. Nothing!_

  
    It was hard to get in even a few minutes of rest when you could still hear the echoing owl and the occasional gust of wind coming from outside your window. You were so tired and you’ve hardly gotten some shut eye these past few days of travelling, and you’ve practically become a nervous wreck now that you’re in Gravity Falls. You’ve tried all you could just so you can sleep, but it just wouldn’t work. Counting imaginary sheep, staring at the ceiling, thinking of the most boring topics you could bring up, nothing worked!  
   
    _Creepy townsfolk, dead rodents, and nature refuses to leave me alone. Am I that unlucky?_  
   
    Getting up from your makeshift bed on the floor, you went over to turn on the lights and examine your state in the mirror. As soon as the light filled up the room, you got a glimpse of your tired face. A dark hue was starting to form below your eyelids and your eyes had a dull edge of fatigue in them. You really need to get some sleep, but you can’t and you refuse to go back to huddling in some blankets and pillows on the floor. So going back to sleep was an option that you had just brutally thrown out your broken window. Just, _no_.  
   
    _I’ll just go downstairs and play my phone._  
   
    After taking out your phone from your bag, you went on and turned off the light to your room before making your way to the kitchen. Your bedroom door closed behind you with a soft click and you were left standing in the main corridor. The walk to the stairs was a bit intimidating due to the state of the hallway. Peeling off paint and creaky planks were factors that strengthened that horror movie vibe. And that wasn’t helpful at all with your current state of mind.  
   
    Once you were done travelling the creepy hall and going down the stairs, you headed towards the kitchen area and found both of your parents still up. Both of them were sipping coffee from their mugs and checking their own phones, most likely to check the moving vans and for business purposes. Your mom spared you a glance before her gaze went back down to the screen of her cellphone.  
   
    “_____, why aren’t you sleeping in your bed?” She addressed you softly, her voice still showing concern despite the faint sound of it. Unlike you, your parents were used to staying up late.  
   
    Your response was laced with the heaviness of fatigue, and it was softer than that of your mother’s. You weren’t even sure if they had heard you. “I couldn’t sleep.”  
   
    Your mom reflexively scrunched her eyebrows together in motherly concern for your wellbeing and she shut off her phone. She set both mug and device on the counter nearest to her before she faced you. She came closer to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear, giving you a small and genuine smile. Despite her tired eyes, they held a certain warmth that you could never get tired of.  
   
    “Is there anything I could do for you, honey?” Her voice was so comforting and it would have lulled you to sleep at times, but unfortunately you still couldn’t find yourself getting droopy-eyed.  
   
    Then, it was your dad’s turn to show off some concern. “Couldn’t sleep, eh? Have you tried staring at the ceiling? Or maybe counting sheep?”  
   
    You shook your head in response to his suggestions. “I tried, but it still didn’t work. So, can I just… stay down here and talk with you guys?”  
   
    They both allowed you to do so and you were glad to at least still have one good thing in your life. And so, you stayed. You had spent a nice hour chatting with your parents, completely forgetting about your earlier idea to play the night away on your phone. Deeming it a good time to go back to your room, you bid them goodnight and headed upstairs. You weren’t that disturbed by the corridor now and so you entered your room, now feeling a little more at ease with it. As you snuggled into the sheets of your makeshift bed, you could feel the strong hold of sleep grasping at your consciousness and you were finally able to get some shuteye.  
   
    And that was the time when your string of grotesque nightmares began.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Reader makes a deal.

   Panic flooded into your system the moment you found yourself staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. The events of the nightmare are replayed in small flashbacks, giving you a new taste of freshly brewed horror with each one that popped up. You tried your best to remain calm, breathing in air to soothe your troubled mind before things crashed. The loud beats of your heart echoed faintly in your head which successfully drowned out any other noise.  
   
_It was only a nightmare. There’s nothing to be afraid of._  
   
    You kept repeating the thoughts in your head, playing it over and over and over like a broken record. And you’d quietly whisper to yourself that _you’re okay_ , that you swear to God _you were **okay**_ **.** Your beating heart slowly slid into a calm state and the invisible thread on your shoulders were gone before they slackened with relief.  
   
    You sat up from your spot on the blankets without much noise and your gaze wandered over to your window. Sunlight streamed in through the glass, silently alerting you that it was already morning. Despite living a bit deeper in the forest of Gravity Falls, you heard nothing but a gentle breeze from outside. What a shame, you were expecting to hear birds singing outside once morning struck.  
   
    You got up from your makeshift bed and grabbed your phone from your bag. Opening it up to the lock screen, you checked the date and time that was displayed on your phone. Fortunately, it was still 8 in the morning. Pocketing your phone, you went downstairs to check up on your parents and to see if they had already prepared breakfast. They usually woke up way before you did and they had also planned on cleaning the house today. From the looks of how clean the floor was compared to last night, they were finished already. And that didn’t surprise you at all since your parents liked to keep things clean and spotless.  
   
    Once you were in the kitchen, you spotted your mother who was there sipping coffee from a mug in hand. “Good morning, dear!”  
   
    “Morning, mom.” You responded lazily and she handed you a plate of pancakes.  
   
    Nonchalantly, you picked up the fork and took a piece of your breakfast. You took your first bite and you were delighted to find that the pancakes were delicious. In between forkfuls of pancakes, you would talk to your mother about trivial things. After you were done eating, you placed your plate in the sink with the other piled-up dishes.  
   
    Suddenly, your father came in the kitchen and announced that the moving trucks had finally arrived. And it was at that exact time when your busy day had finally started.

 

* * *

 

 

    After you went through another round of checking your belongings, you were finally ready to go with your mother. You both planned on going to the forest to take a few photos of the scenery for her boss. Apparently, her boss saw potential in the forest of Gravity Falls when he had visited. Since the other photographers of the company were either doing other tasks or they didn’t want to take it, your mother took up the job. Since your father was a fiction writer and you were homeschooled, you were all okay on the idea of staying in Gravity Falls for a couple of months.  
   
    A series of knocks came from your bedroom door and you went over to answer it. You opened it to find your mother with a camera in her hands and a smile on her face. She had all the equipment she needed for the trip and you had everything you wanted to bring with you in your backpack. You had a few things to keep you entertained, some snacks and drinks, and a camera of your own.  
   
    “Are you ready to go, dear?”  
   
    “Yup!” A jovial grin formed on your lips and your eyes brightened up.  
   
    After saying goodbye to your father and heading out the front door, you were on your merry way to the forest with your mother at your side. There was a welcoming silence which gave way for the peaceful background to ease your nerves, even the remaining memories of your nightmare slowly faded into the corners of your mind. The calming atmosphere of the forest had its way of soothing the problems of just about anyone who ventured in it. That was a definite plus to living in the woods.  
   
    _If only everyday was as peaceful as this._  
   
    And the rest of your walk remained like that, a silent trek in the woods with the accompaniment of peaceful bliss. You both spent a good while wandering around the forest looking for spots that could be worthy in the eyes of your mother’s boss. You indeed found a couple scenes that would be enough for today’s search, but apparently your mother had other plans. No matter how hard you try to convince her that what you have is enough, she was motivated to get a few more shots before retiring for the rest of the day. Any other attempts to resist the idea would be futile, so you carried on deeper into the woods.  
   
    After getting a couple more photos, your mother insisted that she needed to take one last picture before you could get back home. You gave her a tired smile to tell her silently that you understood, but at this point, you didn’t care if your mom decided to take another picture or ten more photos. You followed her around for some time, passing a few spots that you visited a few hours ago, and the time came that you both stumbled upon a small field of flowers. It may not have presented much potential during the early day, but the way the afternoon sun graced the petals of each flower made it look like it was kissed by Heaven itself. If not, it was possibly caressed and cradled with love by the hands of God.  
   
    But, there was something about these flowers that made you act up. Like, something wasn’t right here…  
   
    “Wait here, I’ll just take a few shots before we can head home.”  
   
    Then a vision flashed in your eyes. It was only there for just a second, but you understood all of it. The vision showed you this exact field of flowers, and **_the death of your own mother_**. If she moved any closer to those flowers, a beast -- the beast from _your **nightmare**_ \-- would come out of the woods and maul her to death.  
   
    You needed to get out of there, _right now_.  
   
    Your hand shot out and reached for your mother’s jacket. Once you felt the cotton against your skin, you pulled her back to safety and sighed in relief. She stumbled for a bit before she regained stability and looked at you as if you had grown another head. She opened her mouth to scold you but a deep growl had cut her off. Well, **_shit_**.  
   
    You grabbed your mother’s hand and ran away from that field of flowers without a second thought. You slid past tree trunks and branches as you avoided roots sticking out of the ground. Despite the loud beats of your heart that echoed in your ears, you could still hear the howls and roars of the creature behind you. Among the angry noises of the creature and the thumps of your heart, you heard a click of the camera. You paid no mind to it and kept on running until you tripped over a root that sent you both tumbling to the ground and to your own deaths. You went on to clutch your sprained ankle as you yelled orders to your mom to leave you behind.  
   
    Your ears easily blocked out the noises with minimal effort due to the adrenaline-boosted beats of your heart. At that moment, your fear resurfaced and you could feel your breath hitch as the all-too familiar sensation of fear clawed at the back of your mind. You looked at your mother who was frantically trying to pull you up as the monster drew near and before you knew it, your vision was getting blurry by the second as tears welled up in your eyes.  
   
    You couldn’t watch as the monster got closer and closer in a slow, decisive manner. And you definitely didn’t want your last moments to be of your mother crying in despair as she uttered phrases to you of a hope that was far from your reach.  
   
    _Please make it stop. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, **make it stop--**_  
   
    All of a sudden, everything paused in place. The world’s color drained away to be filled in with a gray color scheme and, luckily, you weren’t affected by the sudden change of color. Movies and stories had always told you that when you were about to die, you would have a rewind of your life flashing in your eyes like a film in the cinema. And _this,_ a gray world and time halted in its tracks (or was it slowed down?), wasn’t exactly what you had in mind when you were expecting death to rear its ugly head.  
   
    An outline of a triangle started to glow in front of you before it started shining brighter and brighter. You had closed your eyes at one point to shield your corneas from the abnormal amount of light it was emitting.  
   
    “Well, well, well, I say it’s about time that we get to see each other!” You opened your eyes to see a yellow triangle with a single eye somehow speaking to you. “Name’s Bill Cipher.”  
   
    This was definitely by far the weirdest day you have ever had. First, you were chased by a creature that you saw in your most recent nightmare. Second, you were moments away from impending doom until time had stopped and the world grayed. And lastly, there was a creature that was the shape of a triangle named Bill that was currently speaking to you despite the lack of a mouth to speak with.  
   
    The triangle -- er, Bill, -- seemed to be waiting for a response from you, but since your mind was too baffled at the moment for you to speak coherent words, you decided to just tilt your head a bit in confusion. “Uh…”  
   
    “Anyway, I see that you’ve managed to drag yourself into a dangerous situation. And since I am quite generous, I’m willing to make a deal with ya, kid!” Was this really happening?  
   
    Your gaze flickered to the side before it centered on the strange, floating triangle. “A… deal?”  
   
    “That’s right! I’ll handle your little problem over there,” The cane in his hand shifted and was now pointed at the creature, “and you do something for me in return. No biggie.”  
   
    As your brow creased, you had a twinge of caution that started to bubble up inside of you. “And what happens if I say no?”  
   
    Bill leaned forward and spoke in a tone that dripped with tar; if he had a mouth, it would have formed a sick, twisted grin. “Say bye-bye to dear Mama, kid!”  
   
    There was a tense silence that settled in the air before the triangle leaned back to gladly drink in your expression of fear. A lump was now in your throat and you gulped down hard to push it back down. A cold rush of fear settled instantly in the pit of your stomach and you had to resist the urge to vomit right then and there. Despite having experienced this feeling multiple times, you would always end up with a heaviness that made you wriggle and squirm with unease.  
   
    “… What do I have to do?”  
   
    He chuckled at you for a short while before going back on track. “Glad to have you on board! I know you’re curious and all, but we should work out the details later. But for now,”  
   
    A hand is outstretched in your direction. It is a shock to you when his hand suddenly lit up without caution and is now engulfed in a blue flame. He isn’t fazed at all by the sudden combustion and the fact that he doesn’t care about it doesn’t help much with your situation. Before you knew it, Bill was talking once more and you tuned in to listen to what he had to say.  
   
    “Let’s shake on it and seal the deal.”  
   
    You hesitated for a moment and, in that second of doubt over Bill’s words, your gaze went over to your mother’s frozen face of dread. Your mind reeled you back to your nightmare, your vision, and the creature that would end your life if you refused Bill’s offer. You didn’t want to die, well, not yet. You still had a life ahead of you that’s waiting to be cherished, and you would rather end peacefully of old age than getting mauled to death by an unknown creature that lurked in the woods.  
   
    And you’re not taking any chances, not when your family is involved.  
   
    Dying is a problem, but it becomes a deeper issue when your family is caught in the fray. You-- you just can’t afford to see them get hurt, much less dying right before your very eyes. You don’t want them to get hurt; you _refuse_ to let them get hurt. You need to accept his offer, **you have to**.  
   
    It took a few seconds until you reached out your hand and gently grasped onto his. The flame had spread to your hand but, much to your surprise, it didn’t hurt at all and your tense shoulders sagged in relief. You shook his hand for a few moments before you promptly pulled away. The deal is now done; you have passed the point of no return.  
   
    And the next moments that followed were nothing but a huge blur in reality. 

 

* * *

 

    When you shot open your eyes, you were greeted with the sight of your bedroom’s ceiling. You blinked once, then twice, and you still haven’t recovered from the initial shock. You took in a deep breath, held it in, and you exhaled. You sat up from your spot on the bed and quickly surveyed the room you were in. The room had furniture now and the floor is clean and free of dust. You went on to inspect your ankle and it was fine, as if… _nothing happened to it_. You continued to poke and prod at it for any sign of pain, but it showed none.  
   
    _What did Bill do? Was all of that even real, or was that all another nightmare?_  
   
    As you sat there and contemplated the reality of the events you had gone through today, a knock was heard from your bedroom door. You stood up and went over to it before you swung it open. It was your mother, and she was still alive.  
   
    “Are you feeling better, dear?”  
   
    Your brows knitted together in confusion and your eyes crinkled up slightly. “What?”  
   
    “Does your head still hurt?” Was she joking around? Why wasn’t she freaking out about that-- that-- **_thing_** that was close to eating you both?  
   
    “No, I feel fine,” Her hand reached out to cup your cheek but you took her hand into yours and lowered it down. “But, why aren’t you panicking?”  
   
    Your mother blinked with a muddled expression at your statement.  
   
     “ _Panicking?_ ” She repeated in a questioning manner, “_____, I may be worried for your health but don’t you think panicking is a bit too much?”  
   
    You have the urge to lose it and just start freaking out for the both of you, but you threw that idea out the window the moment you thought of it. Your gaze flickered to your mother’s warm orbs before you gained sudden interest in the floor boards.  
   
    _Okay, stay calm, you can panic later. You have to deal with mom first._  
   
     “Err, never mind. I just… I need some time to rest for a bit.”  
   
    She gave you a skeptical look at first before she loosened up and a small smile went to her lips. “Okay, sweetie, I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”  
   
    After she left to give you some space, you closed the door and it gave a soft click once it was in place. You let your feet lead you back to your bed and you suppose you do need a few minutes to sort out your thoughts. When you sat down, you finally took notice of a picture sitting on top of your pillow as if it was on display. With shaky hands and a bated breath, you reached over and took it from its soft cushion. You do your best to not flip out after you took a quick glance at it.  
   
    Walking over to a trash bin by your desk, you dropped the photo of the monster in it. You’ll need to burn that tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will be less frequent due to school coming back to haunt me, how lovely. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ彡┻━┻


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Reader heads out to town.

Instead of the usual fast paced, blood-pumping nightmares, your dream was set in an old playground that offered a vague sense of familiarity. Aside from that, it also had a touch of something reminiscent to a scene right before the best fright in a horror movie. Looking around, you saw some typically worn-down equipment with a few battered-up toys here and there. If you were to describe the place with one word, it would have been _“eerie,”_ no doubt fitting the definition to a T. What exactly prompted this thinking you ask? Well, it was hard not to notice the old stains on the equipment that looked oddly like dried blood-- and let’s please acknowledge the fact that the toys were all modified to have one huge eye following your movement. But what scared you the most was the strange element in the air that raised the hair on your arms, making you feel as if one wrong move would set something off-- and if that did happen, _you might not be able to get out alive._

It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, that this thought of something out there, somewhere in a place you’ve failed to observe, was stalking your figure, eyes trained closely on your every movement. Suffice to say, it scared the living hell out of you.

Thankfully, any other pessimistic thought was cut off when you heard a deep chuckle from behind. Whipping around, you met the man who was the source of the sound. With cautious eyes, you took in his appearance. He wore an elegant black suit while gloves of the same color covered his hands. A small top hat floated a few inches above his crown of golden hair that looked as if the strands were really glowing. You finally noticed his eyes. One was a warm orange (just like the sky when the sun went down to hide below the horizon) while the other was completely black with a white _X_ for a pupil. His skin was a bit of a tan shade and, if you squinted enough, you might have claimed that he had a couple of tattoos that blended with his skin tone.

All in all, he seemed like a true gentleman at first glance. One who would smile politely (maybe even bow down graciously and lightly kiss the top of your knuckles) while he would speak in a calm, soothing voice. Despite his appearance, he held a smirk on his lips and his eyes conveyed a message you have yet to decipher. Taking this all in, your gut contorted once more to an uncomfortable stretch, nagging to you that this man meant nothing but danger, and nobody else has made you feel this way, nobody except for--

"... Bill."

The name was nothing more than a whisper against your lips, but the man -- _Bill_ \-- had somehow caught you saying it. And you knew that he needed something from you, his teasing smirk said it all. Why else would he be here?

“Hey, nice to know that you remembered me,” While his tone might be a tad bit condescending, his smirk had loosened up to a smile. A small, genuine smile, nothing at all like his lying grins, and seeing this rare sentiment of honest feelings, it relaxed your troubled mind a little. It was nice, but the smile doesn’t last for very long before he was back to his usual self. “While it would be nice to catch up, I need to ask something of you,”

"Which is...?" You trailed off as a soft shiver crawled down your spine from his affixed stare.

"Considering what I did for you, my requirements would seem like a piece of cake in comparison," He answered softly before a stack of papers with scribbled down notes appeared above him at the snap of his fingers, “What I want you to do is to get me these notes.”

You could clearly see that it was scanned from a book and re-printed by someone for whatever reason they had. Bill lowered the stack to let you have a better view of them. Reaching out, you intended to hold it in your hands and sift through each one to get a clearer grasp of it. Just as you did so, you phased right through the hologram (you swear you heard a faint echo of laughter coming from somewhere, no doubt it was from Bill, that jerk). You opted instead to just read whatever you can, and from what little you learned from this, you could tell that these notes were useful, especially for someone with little knowledge of this town’s weirdness.

    Despite claiming that it wouldn’t be that hard, you doubted it would be easy. But, difficult or not, you had to ask, “And where do you propose I start searching?”

    “Have you heard of a place called The Mystery Shack?”

    You definitely have. Your mother had mentioned a couple of places you could visit in this town, and the Mystery Shack was one of them. “Yeah, but why would it be in there?”

    “A guy I knew wrote them, they were a series of journals, and his brother re-printed them just in case.” Bill explained with a carefree expression and hovered closely, “Look, kid, this job requires stealth. They wouldn’t just hand it over willingly, especially to an out-of-towner such as yourself. Actually, scratch that, they’re never going to give it once they found out that someone knew about them! Anyway, scout the area first for a little, see if there are any possible hiding spots where they could keep the notes. I’m sure you could find something.”

    “Then...” You whispered, unsure whether to continue with that thought, “Then does that mean we’re going to steal it?”

    He laughed, it didn’t sound amused or genuine. His laughter tickled your ears and left a heavy feeling in the pits of your stomach. Bill sounded so high and mighty at that time, so full of tricks and lies. “Of course not! We’re just lending them a hand with throwing away their trash. I bet they wouldn’t even notice it’s gone! Just make sure to keep a tight lid on it, kid.”

    You weren’t sure if there was any truth to his words, but a deal was a deal and you decided to trust his (rather shady) judgement. “I guess you might be right...”

    If you were to check out the Mystery Shack, it would be best to check it out as soon as possible. You could make up an excuse to your parents, telling them you wanted to check out the town and the closest tourist trap there was. While you’re there, you could check out the place, maybe drop in a few subtle hints of asking for something close to the notes. You gave the thought a once-over in your head, it seemed like a feasible plan.

    “I think,” You stated, looking up at Bill who floated in front of you, “I can start searching the area tomorrow.”

    “Great!” Bill smiled widely, ecstatic at the prospect of progress, “See ya real soon, kid!”

    Bill vanished in a bright burst of light and the withered grass around you started spreading blue flames. It kept growing nearer and nearer until – you woke up drenched with sweat and heaved in deep breaths of air. You looked up from your blanket-covered lap to the window where soft light beamed through and struck the floor. You have always found the shape of it odd, seeing as it formed a triangular figure.

    And for a second there, you could have sworn you saw the familiar outline of Bill, faintly glowing a yellow light with the shape of his eye trained on you.

    You blinked and stared at a regular window looking out upon the forest, branches and leaves bathed in sunshine. It was just a dream, you tried to tell to yourself, completely ignoring the faint echoes of various voices whispering in the back of your head.

 

 

    Just like any other day, you forced yourself to go through the rest of the morning as casually as you can. As you moved through your daily routine, you had hallucinations of Bill actually being there on some occasions. It was unnerving and you were starting to think that conversing with a creature like him was what was causing these side-effects. You weren’t really sure, and maybe it was just a fabric of your imagination, either way it was unnerving.

    “[Name]? You look troubled, dear,” Your mother spoke in a gentle tone, setting down the dish rag and plate in her hands. “Is something bothering you?”

    “No, mom,” You reassured her, looking up at the woman with a big smile, “I’m fine.”

    She didn’t look convinced with your act and you thought she would start pestering you for an answer. But, fortunately, she didn’t. You silently thanked the heavens above as she went back to cleaning the dishes without another word. Finishing off what’s left in the ceramic bowl, you stood up and placed it beside the sink where another stack of utensils and dinnerware were yet to be cleaned.

    “I’m going up to my room, mom. I’ll be heading out in a bit to check out the town and the Mystery Shack.”

    Your mother hummed softly in response and was already immersing herself in chores once more. With that, you exited the dining room and went straight for the flight of stairs. There was a sudden stillness in the air and an uncomfortable heaviness on your shoulders. Each step forward set off a nerve-wracking beat from your heart. As you trudged up the stairs, you were constantly reminded of what you agreed to.

    It was _crazy_. Even if Bill claimed that it would be fine – that _stealing something_ would be fine – the gravity of what you would do soon weighed heavily in your mind. But you tried to convince yourself that it would be okay, that you would be fine, and they would move on in the world as if nothing happened. It didn't work.

    With a shaky hand, you twisted the knob and went into your bedroom. You couldn’t think straight as you packed essentials for the trip to town and the nearest tourist trap. There was a voice in the back of your head that whispered soothing words, a voice that wasn’t quite yours.

 _"Stay calm, stay calm.”_ It hissed with a soft tone, _“You’ll be fine, you’ll be fine.”_

    Somehow, someway, you thought it was Bill who was integrating these thoughts in your head. Was he trying to comfort you? That idea was a warm one and it was very sweet in its own weird way. But you couldn’t really be sure with him.

    After grabbing the last things you needed, you rushed down the steps and out the front door, leaving behind a quick goodbye to your mother and a promise to check your phone constantly throughout the trip. The beaten dirt trail led to a fork in the path with a sign stuck in the middle. The signpost led to town with a fairly clean trail accompanying it, while the other path went to a deeper part of the forest with leaves and branches strewn in its wake.

    You dove in to the right, following the signs all the way until it led you to the entrance of the small town of Gravity Falls. The pounding of your heart was echoing strongly in your ears and you forced yourself to calm down. You took in deep breaths, steadied your head, and finally stepped forward with a map of the town clutched in one hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, an update from me? How rare! Haha, joking aside, I want to thank all of you who have commented on this fanfic, bookmarked it, and have given this story a kudo. I never expected for it to have a decent start on any website, especially AO3. I'm just so shocked and happy to see that some people enjoyed my work. Thanks guys! :)
> 
> Anyway, this chapter was quite something. It seems I'm having a harder time than usual in making up dialogue. I just hope it doesn't seem too OOC. ^ w ^""
> 
> School is coming up soon and I'll try my best to get in a few more chapters before it starts eating up my time once more. OTZ


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Reader enters the Mystery Shack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Slight use of Profane Language

Your very first tour in town led you to a small, close-knit neighborhood with rows of houses showing off some character. Or maybe the owners just felt like scattering a bunch of junk across their yard for the fun of it. Who knows?

These structures felt special, in a way. Everything about them talked about an unspoken history of the very land they stood on and of the people that resided in them. Take this one house for example. Everyone was well aware that it was summer and yet these people had the courage to decorate their entire property in old-fashioned Halloween décor because it was _their_ property, _their_ rules. And you liked it, both the decorations and their gutsy choice. Strolling further down the block, you spotted other buildings that displayed many more settings and themes that showed each individual’s character and mind unique only to them. You enjoyed looking at their various styles of decorating and landscaping.

But as homely and welcoming as they all were, there was one house that made your skin prickle and your breath hitch from the very sight of it.

It looked as if no one had ever stepped foot on it for decades; which was probably the case now that you spotted the worn-down sign that had already deteriorated along with the structure behind it. The sign’s once pristine white paint had long since yellowed from old age, the neatly painted “For Sale” too faded for anyone to decipher on the spot. With the lawn overgrown by weeds and wildflowers, the wooden planks looking worse for wear, the glass panes fogged up with dirt and grime, and the trees already dead and barren, all you could say was that everything was a mess and with your paranoid-state of mind, you might have even thought that there might be something lurking in the very depths of the structure. And the very thought alone made you shudder.

It’s best you steered clear of this area. With that in mind, you strolled further down the pavement, hoping to put a good amount of distance between you and that lot as fast as you can.

The rest of the neighborhood wasn’t quite as memorable as the first few houses that you spotted.  The amount of housing dwindled down and you were finally getting to the more commercial side of the town. A few of the establishments caught your eye and you made a mental note to pay a visit later this week.

As much as you’d want to stop by a few of them, there was a more important task at hand than grabbing a slice of pizza. Begrudgingly, you stuck to the route you had to take to get to the Mystery Shack. The path to the tourist trap had lesser buildings than you expected. It wasn’t long before you were surrounded by nature and nothing else. The dirt path stretched far beneath your feet and you could tell that it was well traveled by the tire marks and shoe tracks that were imprinted in it. You had only covered about a quarter of the path when you remembered packing a few of the brochures your mom got from her boss.

You took one out of your bag pocket along with a pen. The front of the pamphlet had a picture of the Mystery Shack with a suited man flourishing a cane towards the establishment. He had an eye patch on his left eye and a red fedora sat on top of his head. Skipping the various blocks of text that came with it, you decided to heavily scrutinize the layout of the structure instead. After looking over the various images printed on it, you scribbled on a few of the pictures with some notes to yourself, most of which talked about some possible hiding places that you could check out.

By the time you finished writing, you had already arrived at the place and you were quick to put away your notes. There were a select few cars still there and it seemed that there were no outside tours at the moment. Everything looked exactly as it did on your pamphlet, even the very concerning letter S of the sign that was currently resting against the roof tiles. You were _not_ going to be the unlucky fellow who gets to be the next victim of that _villainous_ S.

But aside from the sign, everything else looked okay. The totem pole near your current spot looked amazing with how it was neatly carved and you really liked the banners that were strung around the place. The Mystery Shack itself looked old and you could tell this by the cracks found in some parts of the wood. This, in turn, made the building get quite in touch with its themes of mystery and fantasy. With the summer sunlight hitting the place at _just_ the right spot, it somehow gave it a charming and homey feel to it too.

What shattered your feel-good trip was the sight of something situated at a wall, with lens and a mechanic body watching over everything that was there. It was a surveillance camera, which meant a whole new ordeal for you to figure out later. And you were pretty sure that there were more around the place.

But now wasn’t the time to fret over their security measures. You still had a tourist trap to explore.

Upon entering this fine tourist trap, you were greeted with the sight of knick-knacks, merchandise, and “attractions.” Yes, a very loose quotation of _attractions_ , seeing as most of them were simply silly figures of animals glued together or they were some kind of obscure object that was labeled as an artifact.

You took another step inside, this time with the floorboards creaking slightly under the soles of your shoes. The _Welcome_ rug beneath your feet is already worn with enough memories of footwear to last itself a lifetime. Their walls were decorated heavily with posters promoting the place and there were other attractions hanging on the wood. One common theme you see from some of their wares was the ever iconic question mark you saw on their wind vane on your way in.

The clerk looked up from her comic book and greeted you with a welcoming smile from her station. She had her hair tied by a scrunchie in a loose ponytail. You shot the woman a polite smile and headed on over to a random shelf just so you wouldn’t draw too much attention to yourself. Luckily, you weren't the only customer there. There were a few tourists that were browsing the various shelves and clothes racks for something they can bring home.

While others were busy perusing the various knick-knacks that were there, you were here checking out some of the possible hiding spots that you noted down earlier in the pamphlet. You went around the shack pretending to be checking out their hats and magic jewels but, sadly, all of it was in vain. Each spot you had marked was turning to be a no-go. And what was worse was the fact that they had a camera in a corner of the room where it captured practically _everything_ in it.

 _Ugh,_ you thought with a small frown twitching at your lips, _now I’m starting to **think** like a criminal._

As you set down the keychain in your hand, you looked up to see a young couple walk out, hand-in-hand, with a couple of shirts and bumper stickers. The only place left for you to check was behind the counter and all you had to do was come up to the clerk with a simple question for a chance to peek at what’s there. The only problem there was that you were still the bundle of nerves that you were from your childhood. And you don’t want to think about that right now.

Deciding that a quick snack would help pick up your courage, you trotted over to the lone vending machine standing sentry by the _Employees Only_ door. You absentmindedly looked over the snacks displayed behind the glass case as you mulled over the choices carelessly in your head. It was only when you chose a bag of chips when you made up your mind that _yes,_ you _will_ go over to her and finish the task today. You were going to do it _right now_ because you’re already eighteen, _for crying out loud_.

You’re **not** _a child,_ damn it.

_(She’s just a clerk for a fucking **gift shop,** she won’t harm you. You won’t let her.)_

Your hands are clammy and clenching tight from your nerves and you almost forgot the bag of chips waiting silently for you. Without a second to spare, you snatched up the snack and walked closer to the woman by the counter. She was still reading the same comic book you saw from before. At the sound of your footsteps drawing near, the clerk looked away from the pages to stare back at you with a friendly smile and a curious glint in her eyes.

“May I help you?”

There it was in all of its glory, the back of the counter. You made quick work of examining the contents: comic books, flyers, snacks, more comic books, some spare merchandise, and other stuff that you didn’t need. _Still_ no dice.

Now that that’s over, you had one more hurdle to go over and that was small talk.

The clerk was still waiting for your answer and it didn’t help that you were struck with a case of jittery nerves. “Uh... I was wondering when the tour starts? Did I miss it?”

"Oh! We usually have them around 10.We were supposed to have another round at 1 but Mr. Mystery had some business to take care of."

It was such a shame that you couldn’t attend. But now there was a question forming in your head.

Mr. Mystery must have been the man on the pamphlet, who else would it be other than him? And what business did he have that was so important for him to leave the Shack so early? You had questions, but you wouldn’t dare ask them.

"Ah, I see.” You’re anxious to get out of there as soon as you can (you don’t like being alone with a stranger). There’s some hope inside of you that screamed for an exit, some way of being able to cut off the conversation completely.

She’s still bubbling with energy when she said, "You can come back tomorrow for the tour! Well, if you're still in town?"

"I’m new here actually," you replied as your gaze flickered to your shoes, “I was hoping to explore as much of the town as I can this week.”

The clerk made a small hum at that statement and the corners of her lips turned up a little more. There was a soft twinkle in her eyes that you couldn’t explain, "Do you like it here in Gravity Falls?"

You pushed down the memory of yesterday's scare with a gulp, "Oh, yeah! It's quite peaceful here with, uh, all this nature around."

She seemed rather pleased, "Glad to hear that! It’s amazing here, there’s always adventure right around the corner."

_Thanks, but I think I've had enough action for a few weeks._

You made a quick glance at your wristwatch. It was already 12, and those chips weren’t going to be enough for your hungry self.

“Well, thanks for telling me about the tour. I’ll definitely come back tomorrow to see it.”

The woman waved goodbye as you headed out the door, the bell ringing as you did. The summer air was relaxing and you vaguely remembered a diner on your way here.

With your map out and ready, you continued on the dirt path to the town. You’re hungry and you had _a lot_ of planning to do.

 

* * *

 

Greasy’s Diner seemed to be quite popular among the locals and, seeing that it was now lunchtime, it was busier than what you had imagined it to be. Townsfolk and tourists were all over the place, ordering meals and asking for another fill of caffeine. Both children and adults seemed to like the taste of their food. And you could see why; the aroma of their meals was just begging for you to whip out your wallet (or maybe that was just your stomach telling you to find a seat already).

You were in luck and quickly found a seat at the far end of the diner. After ordering some chili fries and a cup of coffee, you brought out the pamphlet and a spare notebook. Since each of your marked spots was nothing but a bunch of no-shows, you had to think of another place where they could have possibly kept the notes. The only area you had in mind was somewhere beyond that taunting _Employees Only_ door. And there were already two options that formed in your head: you either get a summer job at the Mystery Shack _or_ you could risk the chance of getting caught by sneaking in under the cover of night.

Obviously, you knew the better choice.

 _Ugh,_ you thought with a small sneer as you took a sip at your coffee, _all this work to get some stupid notes. Not to mention that I practically did nothing today._

Sighing, you set aside the notes in favor of your fries, coffee, and chips. Even if you only made a small amount of progress on your end of the deal, you _did_ do a lot of planning for your first visit in town. And that was good enough for you.

Espionage and infiltration was _never_ your strong suit (though when has it ever, really?). You would much rather be curled up on your sheets than possibly facing the punishment that came with sneaking into private property.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and the notes couldn't be successfully retrieved with only one visit.

If you were going to do this, you needed to do this right and that was with time, patience, and a lot of effort. Hopefully, you would be able to pull this off with as minimal confrontation as possible (or none at all, which was better, thank you very much).

Your train of thought was interrupted by the _merry_ sound of a child throwing a tantrum. The booth right next to yours consisted of a small family of five. Their youngest, an eight-year-old, was screaming something about getting more pancakes. His family was all doing their best in trying to calm him down but the child’s rage couldn’t be quelled. This only served to fuel the kid’s anger even more until he snapped and threw random bits of bacon all over the place. The thrown projectiles of meat mostly hit your side of the table. Luckily, none of it went on your food or your notes. Seeing that everything save for the table was free from greasy harm, you let out a relieved sigh.

The eldest among the three siblings peered over the divider at the mess her little brother made, “Oh my gosh, we’re so sorry!”

This girl seemed to be around your age. She had her light brown hair neatly tied into pigtails held up by some pink scrunchies. There’s the faintest dash of freckles across her cheeks and her hazel eyes shone brightly with concern.

You offered a polite smile for her, “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. C’mere Jack!” She tugged her brother up. A small head popped up beside the girl. “C’mon, Jack, apologize for what you did.”

The little boy - Jack looked back at his sister with a glare. His tiny nose scrounged up, brows knitting together in annoyance. His gaze returned to you with fiery eyes and a stuck-out tongue, “No!”

“Why you little---”

The father piped up before there would another chaos in the diner, ‘’That’s enough! Both of you sit down.”

The girl and her brother shot each other daggers before obediently backing down. Their mother could only sigh at her family before standing up and going over to your table, “I’m sorry dear, they can be such a handful sometimes.”

“No worries, ma’am,” you quipped, unconsciously scooting a little farther from the woman. You made an effort to subtly block your notes and your pamphlet.

“Here,” she said with a kind smile and a warm tone, “I’ll clean up the mess my son made.”

Before you could even protest to that, she was quick to clean up the bits of flung bacon with some of the table napkins. Soon enough, your table was clean and the family said their goodbyes after leaving another apology for causing you trouble. You noticed that there were fewer people in the diner now that lunch rush was over. It was time for you to go home, too.

You finished off your food and chugged down the last of your coffee. Fishing out a small bit of cash, you slipped the tip onto the wooden table and headed on your merry way.

 

* * *

 

You met Bill again when you went to bed that night and he was very much pleased with your efforts (though he does leave a comment for you to do it quicker, the scoundrel).

“I see you’ve planned out your stuff,” Bill said as he sifted through a copy of your notes. “Especially liked the idea of you working at the Shack. You’ll get close to them in no time and they wouldn’t even suspect a thing!”

He threw them up into the air where they remained suspended by the magic of dreams.

The setting of the dream was much more welcoming than that of the park. You were in your current home in your quaint little bedroom where every bit of your personality shone through. Everything was the same without a speck out of place and it was both amazing and terrifying at the same time.

Bill hovered near you with a soft, yellow glow all over his body. His small triangular shape was odd to you but it was, in a way, a friendlier version for you. His hat floated just inches above his head and he stared directly at you before reviewing the plans a bit more.

“While I would love to applaud you for the hard work, kid,” he looked up from the papers and his glow dimmed a bit, "There's a major flaw in your schemes."

You choked a bit on that part. As embarrassing as it was to you, it was to be expected of the first draft.

"What is it?" You spoke.

“They aren't on the first floor.”

 _What._ “So…” you spoke with uncertainty, "They're on the second floor then?"

“Basement, actually. Saw 'em from old Stanley's memories.” His tone was light until the part where he mentioned someone's name.

Stanley? Could he be the one the clerk was talking about?

Mr. Mystery?

“This man, Stanley… is he Mr. Mystery?” you continued, "And what does he have to do with the notes?"

“He sure is! The one! The only! Man of Mystery!” he shouted, “He's the very one who made the notes.”

Your eyes widened at that, “He _wrote_ them?”

“Well, he photocopied them from the journals.” Oh.

“What about the journals? Where are they? Can't we just get the journals instead?”

“Can't,” He said dismissively. You raised a brow at Bill's answer. He simply rolled his eye, "Long story."

“Look,” Bill said, voice commanding and stern, “Just get them as fast as you can. We need them, okay kid?”

You nodded. You didn’t really like seeing him hang around your dreams. The sooner you could get a hold on those notes, the better.

“Good to see we're on the same page. Anyway, got to go.” Bill's light grew stronger, "You're waking up, kid."

Bill did the same flash of blinding light he did before. His figure shone much too bright for your eyes and you clenched them shut as he vanished into oblivion. You could hear the sound of glass breaking.

You opened your eyes to see the dream world you saw before you crumbling apart.

 

* * *

 

 

You woke up with your gaze locked onto the ceiling, with your hands clammy with cold sweat and your throat as dry as a desert. The room was basked in a soft morning light peering in through the cracks in your curtains. The sound of birds humming, tweeting, and chirping reached your ears and it was all quite pleasant. Your blue backpack rested against your desk chair, looking about ready for you to take on another trip to town.

You were still clenching your sheets from the shock of another dream with Bill in it. Somehow, every dream was always unpleasant whenever he was in them. Surely there might be another way to contact him that didn’t have anything to do with your dreams? You were finding it more and more difficult to catch a good night’s sleep.

You make a mental note to ask Bill the next time you two met. You swung your feet over the bedside and prepared yourself for another day of sleuthing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahahahahahaha, guess who updated? ME! What a shocker, right? School is a butt like always and it just loves to eat up my time, making me end up with a very nasty case of writer's block. I'll try to find a way to get in more updates??? Also, very slight chance that I'll update again next week???? Maybe. Also, do y'all remember Emma Sue from the episode Roadside Attraction? Yeah, I used her you're welcome. Anyway, thanks for reading, guys, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Reader goes on a Mystery Tour.

The day started off with your usual morning routine and, afterward, you were soon on your way to the shack.

As you were heading over to the little tourist trap, you couldn't help but feel nervous about being around a crowd of strangers. It took the whole rest of the walk to try to calm your nerves and yet there was this lingering fear that stuck around in the back of your head.

You had no time for having second thoughts. You needed to be calm for this. Breathe in, and then breathe out.

Nearing the shack, you noticed the abundance of cars at their parking space and the bustling group of tourists standing excitedly by the entrance. There was a chubby man in a black suit holding a cane with an eight ball attached at the top of it. He wore the same eye patch and red fez that he had on the front of the pamphlet. You assumed that this man must be Stanley then.

Quickly, you ran towards the man just in time for his intro for the tour.

“Welcome, one and all to the Mystery Shack!” He did the same pose you saw on the pamphlet, a wide stance with a hand gesturing to the cabin with his eight ball cane, “Where a world of enchantment awaits beyond the door.”

He continued, “I’m Soos, Man of Mystery, at your service!”

_Wait, wait, wait. **Soos?** I thought Stanley was Mister Mystery?_

Unfortunately, you had no time to ponder over this newfound contradiction since the tour started shortly after Soos’s introduction. He led you all past the front door to the entrance of the “Museum,” where there were red curtains blocking the attractions from view. This was one of the areas you couldn’t visit since you missed the first tour.

But now that you had a chance to continue the search, you could look around and seek for the ever elusive notes without being so suspicious. (Although you did have a _very_ strong feeling that it wasn’t there. Hopefully, life could throw you a bone just this once.)

When he pulled back the curtains, there was a woman waiting for her chance to introduce herself to the crowd. She was wearing a suit identical to the one Soos was wearing right now except that her bowtie was pink instead of a calm maroon. There was also no fez to cover the pink hairband in her long brown hair. At seeing the sight of everyone, her hazel irises instantly sparkled with joy and it made her smile all the more dazzling.

“Hello, everyone,” she said with her energy bouncing off of her words, “I am the lovely assistant, Mabel! And today, I’ll help guide you all through the maze of mysterious artifacts with the amazing Mister Mystery!”

Children were brimming with excitement over her words and even some of the adults wore a smile on their face. After meeting Mabel, your group soon moved on to the first attraction: a skeleton of a mermaid? Oh, there was a nameplate below the glass case. It was actually called the Fiji Mermaid. Soos and Mabel enacted a small funny skit about mermaids and folklore regarding the attraction which garnered some chuckles from both you and the crowd. After that, it was a nonstop show of amusing little acts and fun tales of jackalopes, gnomes, giants, griffins, and other artifacts.

The tour ended with the tale of a werewolf tooth before you all ended back at the same doorway you all came from. Soos got a sack with a question mark on its front from the store clerk and he held it out with some silly talk of “money disappearing mysteriously whenever you throw some in.” People were eager to tip the staff for an amusing tour and they dropped some in without hesitation. Of course, you also enjoyed the tour (even if the “Museum” also turned out to be a dud for your search for the notes) and you made sure to leave some spare cash before leaving out the front door.

Tourists were either staying to buy some souvenirs or they were heading towards their cars to drive off to somewhere else. You checked your wristwatch to see that it was already around twelve, just in time for lunch. And while you did have some money left to spend, you thought that it might have been better if you saved it for something else. The diner’s good food can wait for another time.

‘Sides, you had some discussing to do with Bill. Maybe he knew something else about the notes? And did he intentionally slip up on Soos’s name with someone else named Stanley?

Hopefully, Bill could answer your questions.

 

* * *

 

 

The woods were as peaceful as you remembered when you were out with your mother. But now, you were starting to doubt the mask of serenity it had put on. A flash of your encounter with the hostile creature from before played briefly on your mind before you pushed it aside.

You didn’t need a reminder of that awful near-death experience.

Fortunately, your mind was soon wiped clear of anything unpleasant upon reaching the sight of your house. Once you stepped through the front door, you were greeted with the sound of plates being arranged on the table and the heavenly scent of your mother’s cooking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that's right. I actually updated again pretty soon (well, sooner than all of my other updates, hahahaha). Sorry for the short chapter and the very small view of Mabel and Soos. I promise that the next chapter will have more action to look forward to (starring, Reader, Mabel, Bill, Emma, and Melody). Sooooooo, yeah. Expect more next week maybe? Hopefully.


	6. Interlude 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What a lovely little garden. (I'd rather forget.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!! This chapter can be taken as a canon or non-canon chapter. !!!

Afternoon naps were supposed to be nice and peaceful. And you were _definitely_ _not_ expecting Bill to be there.

You were currently in your front yard, tending to a healthy bunch of flowers. There were different kinds with varying structures and colors. They were all beautiful but sadly, you could hardly recall their name from the time your mother brought you with her to do a photoshoot for a flower boutique. You could still remember the gentle, creamy whites and refreshing greens of the store's walls and the rows upon rows of fresh flowers that they had on display. They had even more vibrant colors than any plant you and your mother tried to grow together but this didn't upset you at all. You were completely enamored by the almost dream-like atmosphere the shop had to be saddened by that fact.

The musings of your past, however, were cut short when Bill's voice broke the peace you had. "Well, well, well. I didn't know you had a green thumb!"

You almost dropped the watering can in your hands. "Bill," you sucked in a shaky breath, "I wasn't expecting you to show up."

Bill rolled his eyes with mock annoyance and a mischievous glint, "Better expect it, kid! You'll _definitely_ be seeing a lot of me from now on!"

_"Wonderful,"_ you muttered softly to yourself. It seemed like you won't be getting that much alone time for a while, even in your mind.

You didn't know if Bill heard that, but if he did, he either didn't care or he really didn't hear it (something which you doubted could be possible). Continuing what it was you were doing before the unexpected visit, you went on to water more of your plants without another word. Though you wondered if you should really continue this? It was just a dream, so it wasn't like it was going to matter? But then again, it did give you something else to do other than interact with the dream demon hovering beside you.

Bill leaned a little forward with a hand on his chin as he examined your little garden, "Hmmm, snapdragons, red dahlias, white catchflies..."

You abruptly stopped watering, a little surprised that he actually knew their names (though he does often say that he had this vast omnipotence at his disposal whenever he needed it). Turning your head, you looked at him with a rather inquisitive stare, "You know about flowers?"

"Of course!" He said with a proud tone and a cheeky grin, "I know _everything,_ kid!"

"Well...." you swallowed your nervousness and built up some courage, "... well, can you tell me what these are?" You were pointing at a couple of little, white flowers.

"Those? They're hemlocks." He replied.

You moved your hand to point at a different one, which was a plant with purple and white buds. "And what about these ones?"

"Franciscea latifolia."

As unexpected as it was, your afternoon was rather enjoyable as you spent a good majority of your time napping as you learned different flower names with Bill. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry to disappoint you all with only filler content since school’s already started a while ago and I’ve been tasked with even more responsibility than I imagined! Sooooo, updates won’t come out weekly after all…. OTL I swear, you’ll get a consistent update schedule soon! Maybe it should be at least a chapter a month/2 months? Hopefully, I can follow that.
> 
> Aside from update schedules, chapter six is going through some heavy editing so please be patient everyone! I’ll do my best to work on it whenever I can. I hope you enjoyed the filler content for now and I hope you have a wonderful day!


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